In defence of geeks: The value of psychological and developmental disorders for businesses

Some time back the use of the word “geek” would send out notions of extreme weirdness and anti-socialism. Hollywood movies and popular cultural texts also propagate this stereotype by making fun of geeks and nerds, portraying them as the outcasts and the bullied. Moreover, this negative connotation of ‘geekiness’ is often associated with people who are afflicted with psychological and/or developmental disorders such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), autism, and other conditions included in the autism spectrum (e.g. Asperger’s syndrome). As a result, such people are often discriminated against and marginalized in society. But this stigma is inappropriate and incorrect, and has to go. Contrary to popular belief, most of the individuals who are diagnosed with such conditions are able to lead a normal life and to be productive members of the society.

Interestingly enough, it appears that while by and large people with the afflictions mentioned are still being looked down upon, several industries have started to hire such people because of the special traits and abilities they possess. In late 2001, Wired Magazine ran a controversial feature on what it coined as the “geek syndrome”. It expounded on the fact that during the time of writing, the number of kids diagnosed with autism was increasing in California, particularly in Silicon Valley. The theory put forward by the article was that the said phenomenon was caused by what they called “assortative mating”, or the propensity of people with autism (i.e. people in Silicon Valley who are generally characterized as ‘geniuses’ or ‘geeks’) to be attracted to and mate with people within the same spectrum, thus increasing the probability of autism among Silicon Valley babies. While this hypothesis has been contested by numerous parties (and still remains controversial up to this date), what it interestingly brought to attention is that the number of people with various forms of autism are increasingly being recognized and appreciated, and are achieving success in the fields of technology and business.

This trend seemed to escalate as the IT and online industry grew to epic proportions. Last year, more than 10 years after Wired’s much talked-about feature, The Economist published an article titled In praise of misfits: Why business needs people with Asperger’s syndrome, attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia. The article also noted that several influential people in the sphere of business like Charles Schwab, Richard Branson, John Chambers have dyslexia, a “reading disability that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Also Steve Jobs had dyslexia. On the other hand, Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian chess prodigy who is currently ranked as the number one chess player in the world, is said to have a mild version of autism. An eminent figure with Asperger’s syndrome is Vernon Smith, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. In a 2005 interview with CNBC, Smith reveals the personal challenges he encountered in relation to his condition, and how there is still a need for the recognition of “mental diversities”.

Another celebrated discussion about the positive traits of autism is the 2010 TED talk by Dr. Temple Grandin, a distinguished expert on animal behaviour who was herself diagnosed with autism at young age. In Grandin’s speech, she explains in detail how her autism has helped her excel in her field, and how the autistic mind is so brilliant in so many ways. Some of the traits that Grandin identified were the ability to think in pictures, pay close attention to details, and put information into categories – abilities that have proven to be useful in her work as a scholar and in other fields as well, such as engineering and technological development. Some of these traits were also echoed in The Economist article.

This, of course, is only a partial overview of how some people with psychological and developmental disorders function. The views and success stories listed above do not discredit the fact that people with severe autism can be unable to participate in business activities. What they do point out, on the other hand, is that generalizing all people with autism or personality disorders as unproductive and “useless” in the society is a grave injustice. As the successful people mentioned above have shown, such disorders are not always impediments to being valuable contributors to society.

Knut Nylænde is a businessperson passionate about applying innovative ideas in business development. His Oslo-based investments firm, Moxie AS, is focused on investing in and building up small to medium companies that embody Knut’s brand of visionary entrepreneurship.